


Saving Him

by InkedEevee



Category: Food Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Big Sister Milk, Chocolate is a disaster, Coffee is a sad boi, DON'T FUCK WITH MILK, Fluff, Happy Ending, I didn't mean for this to be so long, I'm Sorry, Long Shot, M/M, MILK WILL END YOU, Or coffee, Pastel is a bitch, Succubi & Incubi, This Took on a Life of its Own
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26571994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkedEevee/pseuds/InkedEevee
Summary: THIS IS LONG AND I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK ON A LIFE OF IT'S OWNUnhealthy food was all Chocolate really knew. He was used to his prey being under the influence, but then Coffee makes an offer, and for some reason, Chocolate goes along with it.
Relationships: Chocolate/Coffee (Food Fantasy), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	Saving Him

**Author's Note:**

> I AM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LONG  
> It was meant to be JUST Chocolate and Coffee but I don't know what happened. I started this back in August (23rd) and finished it yesterday.  
> Also, for some reason, there isn't much information on these types of demons (incubus/succubus). I tried to look stuff up, but didn't get much, so I'm going off of random people's headcanons.
> 
> ALSO also, I switch POV's a lot (from Chocolate to Coffee), so I apologize!

Coffee.

The blonde business Food Soul with the Devil in his eyes.

Chocolate remembers the first time he laid eyes on Coffee. With nothing but anger in his heart, Chocolate was on the road to murder—only to be stopped by the other. His dark tinted glasses and kind, yet flirty behavior intrigued Chocolate, and before long he was stopping by his coffee shop every day. The two became closer and closer, Chocolate eventually joining staff and working alongside Coffee. Of course, it meant that two charismatic, flirty Food Souls were interacting with their customers, but it did help business. Soon enough, however, Chocolate's flirty nature soon was projected on one being in particular: Coffee.

It started out as Chocolate simply teasing Coffee as he would with anyone else—fast forward a couple of weeks, and he would flirt with him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Coffee, for one, would easily become flustered—and Chocolate found it adorable. He, Coffee, would give patrons his flirty nature but the second Chocolate flirted with him? Every time, Coffee became a blushing, stuttering mess. And Chocolate did remember some innocent ones that would _really_ mess with Coffee, such as;

_"I hope today is as beautiful as you."_

_"Can I take a picture of you? I need to send Mr. Kris Kringle my wish list."_

_"Our patrons must think I'm drunk, just looking at you makes me feel intoxicated."_

_"My life is perfect because I'm with you."_

And of course, Chocolate's favorite;

_"How's the most beautiful boy in the world doing?"_

However, Coffee had a reply to that one.

_"Hmmm.. I don't know. How are you doing?"_

It left Chocolate choked up, unable to speak. Coffee then sent him a wink and walked out to serve his customers. 

Needless to say, Coffee was a victor for that one.

Of course, Coffee usually had more innocent-esk flirts. If something _sounded_ sexual, there was a high chance he didn't mean it that way. A flirt of Coffee's that _sounded_ sexual, to Chocolate at least, was; _"Do you want to try my bitter flavor?"_ . Chocolate had gripped him, a gentle hand on his thigh. However, he had seen the mini-panic in Coffee's eyes and immediately let go, apologizing profusely and explaining that it _sounded_ like Coffee was offering up a BJ.

The expression on Coffee's face was _hilarious,_ Chocolate had to admit, but then he learned something that surprised him quite a lot;

Coffee has _never_ had any sort of sexual interaction. What Chocolate did was probably the most "sexual" thing that has happened to him. To this, Chocolate blinked and apologized once more. But, in a way, it made sense.

Chocolate... could smell it. Coffee was a virgin, he was as pure as he could be. He didn't do drugs, he didn't smoke, he didn't even drink. As pure as a child Food Soul, like Rice or Tom Yum.

Chocolate wasn't a normal Food Soul, just as Red Wine wasn't a normal Food Soul. Instead of being a vampire, though, he was an incubus. A secret he told no one, though satisfying his hunger was easier said than done. Chocolate would usually have some sort of one-night-stand, but alcohol-induced sex wasn't the healthiest, nor was any "under-the-influence" sex– _especially_ when they used that _one drug_ that supposedly made sex _great._ In Chocolate's opinion, that tasted the worst—both the drug and the energy he got from it. None of his Master's knew, as far as Chocolate knew at least, he was partially afraid of what they would say. Coffee, however?

It wasn't just him being afraid.

He was terrified.

He didn't want to lose Coffee, he wouldn't know what to do. He couldn't imagine a world without Coffee, not anymore. So he kept quiet, even if sometimes Coffee looked perfect. His body, his voice, and sometimes his flirty nature caused Chocolate to hold back every instinct in his body to make sure he didn't ruin their friendship. He couldn't. Though, in a way, he knows he already has, seeing as he had accidentally made Coffee uncomfortable multitude of times. But it was too late, and Chocolate couldn't take anything back. He could only try and rebuild.

Though, Chocolate wasn't good at it. He would mess up time and time again, and would always end up going silent for the rest of the day. Obviously, this worried Coffee, making him feel guilty, asking if what _he_ did wasn't okay, when, in fact, it was the complete opposite. And these small acts, they were making his intentions slip through when he would utter the words, _"I can do anything to make you feel better. Just name it."_. I

It was slipping—his ability to try and stay "normal" was slipping. Chocolate felt fear rise in him each and every time before a certain someone enters his mind that might be of help—but that Food Soul wasn't anywhere close to the coffee house. Due to this, he requested leave time. He felt his heartbreak when Coffee looked hurt.

"Was it about the—"

"No. I just need to go somewhere. I'll take a commission, I just have to see someone."

And Coffee, clearly reluctantly, had allowed him to leave. To Chocolate, this one other he knew of that had to hold back, one other that had cravings that they could never satisfy. This one other that his mind thought up, and seemingly now was his holy grace—he _had_ to get to him.

And that's how Chocolate ended up in the presence of Red Wine.

Red Wine wasn't exactly pleased by the sudden visit, and the two sit in his room. Chocolate could feel Red Wine's gaze, but Chocolate was glad that Red Wine was allowing him to get his thoughts together. With a deep breath, he signaled he was ready to speak, Red Wine straightening. "I apologize for coming unannounced. I need help, I'll beg, I'll get on my knees. You're the one Food Soul, or being in general, I know of that has a somewhat similar problem that I have." Chocolate spoke, watching Red Wine's brows furrow. "I… please don't tell anyone, you'll be the first to hear this—"

"You're a sex demon, I can smell it, if that's what you're speaking of. Your blood reeks of it."

Somehow, that line made Chocolate feel better.

"Others might know if they read up about incubi and succubi, but I digress." Red Wine's gaze showed interest now. "What problems do we share, in your opinion?"

"Our need for something. You have a craving for blood, I have a craving for sex, but the single differences that I need it to _survive_. You are able to resist Steak, please tell me how. Every single time I see Coffee, I feel like I'm about to rip his clothes off of his body. Sometimes I can't feed, I have to force myself to. Just because they aren't Coffee." Chocolate whispers, pain in his eyes. Red Wine's expression seemed to soften momentarily before he sighs. "As you have just stated, there is a difference; I don't need blood to survive, if anything, I'm afraid consuming it will turn me into a Fallen. You, however, need intercourse. It seems you've become entranced by Coffee, Chocolate. Have you tried expressing it?" Red Wine asks, pouring himself and Chocolate a drink. "I have, but… that isn't my main problem." He speaks, tone suddenly serious. His change of tone clearly grabs Red Wine's attention, the male looking him in the eyes. "What is?"

"Coffee. He's a virgin. He's never had any sexual encounters."

Chocolate watched Red Wine's face. Before he spoke, Red Wine had an expression that showed his interest, one brow raised as he sips his wine. However, almost immediately Red Wine spit out his drink, partially choking as he looks at Chocolate as if he just offered him a vile of the most precious blood in the world. "Wait. He?" Red Wine's mouth was ajar, Chocolate slowly nodding. "He told me that once when I grabbed his hips. He sort of freaked out, and after he calmed down he explained that. Since then, my mind keeps putting Coffee in... _outfits..._ and it's driving me insane. Virgins give the most energy, so part of me just wants to…!" Chocolate slaps the wine glass off the table, a loud **_CRASH_ **came from the broken glass, Chocolate's breath hitching. "No wonder he's always smelt so irresistible."

Those words were just barely a whisper.

Red Wine allowed Chocolate to calm down. Soon enough, he did, and his face was in his hands. "... I'm so sorry about the wine glass." He speaks, voice hoarse as Red Wine shakes his head. "Don't apologize. See, that makes sense. Coffee's blood always made me go slightly crazy also. Virgin blood is quite pure, untainted. And I know Coffee doesn't drink, smoke, nor do drugs. If I remember correctly, at least." To his statement, Chocolate nods. "Yep." Chocolate mutters, popping the "p" as he sighs out. "He's just... _pure."_ He whispers, his blue eyes meeting Red Wines' red ones. "Red Wine… I don't think I can go back."

"What?"

"If I see him again. I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back. I don't want to tell him what I am, I don't want to ruin what we have. I don't think I can bring myself to ruin what we spent months, no, _years_ at this point, working on." He explains, digging his fingernails into his head and viciously scratching. "I don't want to hurt him. I'd rather die." He speaks, feeling tears sting his eyes.

The silence was a partial comfort. Slowly looking up, Chocolate freezes. Red Wine's gaze was cold. "Listen. I'm going to tell you something that even I have to deal with. There's a Food Soul I know, and I have to keep him away from Steak. He's like I, someone who craves blood, but he doesn't hold back. He loves Steak because his blood is so warm, so I constantly have to make sure that Steak is safe. Do you understand why I'm telling you this?"

Chocolate was silent, slowly shaking his head. "No… I'm sorry, I don't understand at all." Chocolate murmurs, leaving Red Wine sighing. "Steak's blood isn't as pure as Coffee's. Steak drinks, and it has caused his blood to ruin it to a certain degree. He isn't a virgin, either." Chocolate swore he could see the remnants of blush on Red Wine's face. Any time other than a serious moment, he would tease, but he was slowly starting to understand what Red Wine was getting at.

And it terrified him. More than his secret being out to Coffee.

"Chocolate. If this Food Soul gets to Coffee, I don't think Coffee would last. He isn't as strong as Steak. He isn't a Defense. And he isn't a powerful Magic."

Chocolate stood, practically running over and grabbing his phone and immediately calling Coffee.

_Ring…_

_Ring.._

It went to voicemail.

Again, again, and again—on the tenth call, he was absolutely panicking. Chocolate had already finished the commission, and he whipped to face Red Wine. "Where is this Food Soul usually?" He asks as Red Wine shakes his head. "I don't know. He hops around, not staying in one place for too long." He explains, making Chocolate's heart drop. A hand suddenly is on Chocolate's shoulder, and he looks at Red Wine. "It's past midnight. He, and I'm referring to Coffee, might be sleeping."

Chocolate's breathing slowed. "R… right."

Red Wine offered Chocolate a room to stay in for the night, but Chocolate shook his head. He needed to feed, and Red Wine gave a slight nod. Chocolate didn't feel comfortable bringing people into Red Wine's home, so he left. It took him some time to find a club, but not to find a bunch of cuties that would suffice. Man or woman, it didn't matter to him. Either way, they weren't Coffee.

Either way, Chocolate didn't care.

-

**_Knock knock_ **

"Hng..."

Weakly, Coffee props himself up. Again, a knock came from his bedroom door.

Who could that be? Chocolate?

Forcing himself out of bed, Coffee unlocks his bedroom door, opening it. He expected to see Chocolate.

However, instead of calming blues, an intense, bright red meets his gaze, nearly scaring the life out of him. Though, he did recognize the person, if that made it any better. He breathes out, putting his hand to his heart as the Food Soul smiles. "Good Morning, Coffee." The Food Soul greets as Coffee raises a brow, still getting over his mini heart attack. "Good Morning—wait, it's morning?" Coffee takes a glance at his windows, still showing darkness. "It's in the AM, Coffee. Morning. But if you would like a more precise time, it's almost four AM." Slowly, Coffee nods. "So what do you need, Red Wine?" He asks, the vampiric male smiling. "Ah~ I was just bringing you home a drunk Chocolate. Speaking of him," the smile turned into a slight frown. "Do you think we can speak about him?"

Ah. That explains how Red Wine got in. Coffee slowly nods, letting Red Wine into his room and grabbing his glasses, then offering to make them some drinks. Red Wine allows it, saying it'd give him more time to try and figure out how to even bring the topic up which, quite honestly, brought some worry to Coffee. Once he had made both himself and Red Wine drinks, he enters his bedroom and hands it to Red Wine, who thanked him quietly. It was… odd. Coffee never spent time with Red Wine, but he could tell his personality was different. Was the subject that important that he had to approach this from a different angle? Coffee grips his cup, sipping it before a sigh catches his attention, looking up.

"Listen… The questions I'm going to ask you won't make sense at first… but everything should fall into place if you connect the pieces." Red Wine explains as Coffee nods. "May I ask something first, though?" Coffee's voice was soft as if he didn't actually want Red Wine to hear. "... Alright. Go on, ask." Red Wine leans forward, taking a sip from his own cup. "... Why? Why do you need to ask questions, why did Chocolate come to talk to you just… why?"

_Why?_

Why did Chocolate want to leave and spend time with Red Wine? Why Red Wine of all Food Souls? Coffee's downcast gaze didn't meet Red Wine's sympathetic expression. "... He told me some important stuff. May I begin?"

Coffee didn't verbally reply, he gave a mere nod as Red Wine clears his throat. "Remember, these will all make sense soon." A dry nod leaves Coffee, a simple hum leaving Red Wine before he speaks. "What do you think of me? Having the… cravings that I have. Or Food Souls like me in general that have these unsavory cravings." Red Wine's voice showed he was being serious as Coffee raises his head, mouth agape but nothing leaving it. After thinking it over, he felt as if he could speak. "In all honesty? I see nothing wrong with it. It's not your, or their, fault for having cravings. In your case, you're able to somewhat ignore them, but if they were unable to, say… they need it to survive, I would try and see it from their point of view. Say Milk needed something… seeing as she is very close to me, as well as being my older sister, I would try and help her obtain what she needed." To this, Red Wine nods. "Of course, that does sound like you. Coffee, do you like Chocolate?"

The question was so sudden, Coffee chokes on his drink, spitting it out, heavily coughing, and wiping the new stain on his shirt to try and get it out, even if he knew it wouldn't come out that easily. His face was burning, wasn't it? He could feel the heat on his cheeks, burning him worse than whenever he would accidentally spill coffee that had just been made, and it was embarrassing. After Coffee got his coughing fit under control, he looked up to see Red Wine with such a smug expression. "I'll take that as a yes." Red Wine hums as Coffee immediately began to stumble on his words, but Red Wine ignores him, keeping that shit-eating grin on his face. Any attempts to save his dignity would have failed, so Coffee stayed silent as he tried to calm his blush down. "It seems you're in good spirits." Coffee mumbles, that typical Red Wine smile didn't leave his face as Coffee sets his drink down, looking away from the purple-haired Food Soul. "Tell me, Coffee. What would you do for Chocolate?"

Coffee pauses. "... I would do anything to see him smile. His smile…" Coffee could feel the heat coming back to his cheeks. "I… I can't describe it. It's heaven-sent, which is ironic coming from me." Gently, Coffee places his hand on his chest, a smile coming to his own face when he thinks of the male. His hair, his eyes, his skin, his smile, his smell.

_Him._

A soft laugh escapes Coffee, the male rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm glad he's home. I've missed him. Not having him around put me in a gloomy mood." Coffee admits, playing with his thumbs as Red Wine hums, getting Coffee's attention. "I need to ask you something important. Say Coffee _was_ like me, but needed blood to sur—"

"I'd let him drink from me."

Red Wine was silent, stunned. His fangs poke out from behind his lips. "As long as it kept him healthy. As long as it kept him happy. I'd offer myself as a meal each and every time. Drinking from other people would be dangerous. What if they had a blood disease? What if drugs are in their system? I can't allow him to survive on that." Coffee's voice showed it; he was serious. "He's my—"

He's my…

What is Chocolate to Coffee?

They're best friends. They're coworkers.

But, Coffee had to admit, he wanted more than that. He wanted Chocolate to hug him, to hold him, to have Chocolate pepper him with kisses. With the memory lingering, the feeling of Chocolate's hand on his hip came back. The warmth it brought, and Coffee once more felt as if he wanted to melt. The snapping of fingers brought Coffee back to reality as Red Wine looked less than pleased. "Don't get lost in your thoughts. I asked you a question." He snaps, as Coffee weakly laughs. "Sorry. What was it?"

"So you're saying you'd do anything for him?"

"Without a doubt."

Coffee blinks at Red Wine's smile. Why was he so pleased? "Well, that's all. Goodbye, Coffee." And before Coffee would call out, Red Wine was gone, leaving Coffee alone in his room. Getting off the wall, Coffee grabs his phone. The first thing he noticed was the many missed calls by Chocolate, which he made a mental note to ask later what that was about, but the second?

It was almost six.

How did time get away from him like that?? How long were he and Red Wine talking?? It couldn't have been longer than twenty, hell maybe even thirty minutes. Unless he lost count of the awkward silences and how long it took to make the drinks, he couldn't believe it. He needed to get ready. He had a day ahead of him. Even if he didn't want to, he did have one. First thing's first; shower. He needed time to think, and a shower was a perfect time to think. In his own opinion, anyway.

The hot water, the alluring smell of body wash, and his own thoughts. Sometimes he'd play music, but always kept it quiet—he didn't want to play it too loud. This time, he chose not to, seeing as he had a lot of thinking to do. The water running down his back was a slight comfort as Coffee sighs, hugging himself before closing his eyes, biting the inside of his cheeks. The thoughts of Chocolate were filling his mind—but one stood out. The one of Chocolate being like Red Wine.

The imaginary feeling on Chocolate's tongue on his neck, of fangs piercing into his skin, the sucking on his neck.

Coffee sat down immediately. His knees felt as if they were about to give out, and he didn't want to test fate. The images kept building in his mind and Coffee couldn't take it anymore. His hot shower was getting hotter by the minute and he immediately turned the knob to cold, cringing when the cold shower hit him, but his own personal heat didn't die down. 

_This was going to be a long, long day._

  
  
  


"Thank you! Have a nice day, mister!"

"You too, darling."

Coffee smiles, watching the little girl skip away with her drink. He stretches, yawning as he looks at the clock, blinking once he sees the time. "Pastel?" He calls out, watching the pastry chef come. "Can you watch for a bit? I'm going to check on Chocolate. He hasn't left his room." To this, Pastel didn't speak. He simply nodded and Coffee thanked him before absconding, making his way to the room where Chocolate slept. He knocks, hand on the doorknob. "Chocolate? It's noon, are you awake yet?" His call didn't have an answer, and he gently turns the knob, entering the room—but his heart immediately stops.

Chocolate wasn't in bed. He wasn't in his room, and the window was wide open. Quickly, he checks the bathroom.

No sign.

Chocolate left.

Coffee's breath hitches, his heart racing before rushing back out. Pastel must have picked up on his panic, seeing as he asked if Coffee was okay, leading Coffee to explain that Chocolate was gone. Pastel nods slowly, understanding the situation as Coffee was desperately trying not to rip his hair out. It spread to the rest of the Food Souls, either by hearing or seeing Coffee panicking or by Pastel, and Black Tea stepped up to set off and look for him.

"It's my day off, anyway."

Coffee felt like Milk had asked her. Though it sometimes didn't seem that way, Milk was quite attentive to Coffee's feelings. Maybe it was because she was the older sister? Coffee didn't know, but either way, he was happy that Black Tea stepped up and thanked her a dozen times over. Now sitting in the break room with his head in his hands, he could feel himself breaking down.

That is when a book was thrown at him.

He glances up, seeing Tiramisu with a bright smile. Coffee blinks, gently grabbing the book and reading the title;

_The Occult and its Demons_

"What in the world..?" He murmurs, looking back to the other. "Open the cover." She hums, a smile on her face. Coffee does as told, brows furrowing as he sees a slip of paper, opening it without a second thought. The handwriting immediately catches his attention, eyes wide. Chocolate's handwriting.

_Dear Coffee,_

_I'm so sorry for leaving abruptly. Please forgive me. It's an odd request, but if you could, can you read some of this book? Pages 280 to 400. I know it's a lot, but I hope with what Red Wine talked to you about and you reading this, I truly hope it'll come to you. Though, you have been oblivious in the past, so I can bet you will be now. Once you've done that, meet me in the Light Kingdom, right at the town square. I'm sorry again._

_With love,_

_Chocolate_

Coffee was dumbstruck. So he knew that Red Wine spoke with him, but he..? A long, drawn-out sigh leaves him before getting up, grabbing something to drink and some cheesy bread from Pastel, who had said he needed it. Coffee did, it was his favorite food and his comfort food—and with that fiasco Chocolate decided to pull, he needed his comfort. Now sitting in his room with the others managing the establishment, he opens the book and went to the assigned page. He wasn't exactly knowing what to expect until he read the title of the page;

_"Succubi, Incubi, and the ever-elusive Concubus"_

The pages explained each and every one. A succubus was a female sex demon, an incubus was a male sex demon. However, if you look at Latin meanings, then everything changes slightly. With succubi, the Latin word was "succubare", which means _"to lie under."_ For incubi, the Latin word was "incubare", and the meaning was _"to lie on"._ If you use the Latin meanings, then incubi were the dominants and succubi were the submissives. That's where the concubus comes in—they're the switches—or were they called versatile?—but either way, it was one either most ignored or refused to accept. It explained their need for sexual energy, and even going as far as to call the demons slightly vampiric, some would drink the blood of their victims, and some would take their life force away, or just eat them entirely. These demons we're irresistible, it was said how some could switch between genders, and that some succubi would take the sperm of men and use it to impregnate women—and the child would almost always be called a curse and killed. Of course, it explained the obvious; they lured their victims with seduction, and that they needed to feed to survive.

Two things that caught Coffee's attention was how they blended in. They had horns, wings, and tails if they were pure—but they can lack the wings if they were turned into one. To other demons, they see all the attributes, even if other mortals cannot. A hum leaves Coffee at that fact. "Do we Food Souls count in the _mortal_ category, despite not actually being mortals?"

What a question.

The other one was that some of them marked their Feeders, if they had one. They would mark them to keep other demons away from the Feeder. It was to keep the feeder safe from other demons, but also it meant the Feeder could never have a relationship.

Coffee read in silence, finishing his food and drink. The others didn't bother him, even when he left with the book in his grip, right to the place Chocolate said he would be.

And he was, giving Coffee a weak smile and wave. Coffee nods at him, reaching his hand out to the other—and Coffee noted something he found strange—Chocolate hesitated. He had hesitated to take Coffee's hand, but he did in the end, and the two walked back to the coffee house together, hand in hand. When they arrived, Chocolate let go of Coffee's hand immediately, and Coffee went back to work, seemingly now ignoring Chocolate. It didn't matter what Chocolate did to get his attention—call his name, poke him, throw roses at him, take items he needed, even grabbing him. Coffee continued to ignore him, and went to bed without speaking another word to Chocolate, leaving Chocolate and the others to clean up.

Coffee was _really_ upset, and it was Chocolate's fault.

Dammit.

Sitting down, Chocolate puts his head in his hands, groaning aloud as someone sits in front of him. Looking up, he was more than surprised to see Pastel. The Food Soul's eyes study Chocolate before the pink orbs roll. "If you would have handled this better, this wouldn't be happening. Like if you would have straight up told him you were an incubus."

Chocolate didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to react. "How..? How do—" Chocolate began, but Pastel cuts him off. "I was awake when you came back, I listened to Red Wine and Coffee's conversation. I read the book. You should know how dense Coffee is, Chocolate, you're literally his best friend." Pastel seemed as if he was both scolding Chocolate and making fun of him at the same time. "Not to mention, you have always given off a sort of… aura, we'll call it. Milk noticed it. Black Tea noticed it. When Napoleon comes here, he notices it—literally, everyone notices it besides Coffee. Because he is the dumbest thing alive."

Chocolate had almost slapped Pastel with that last line, but Black Tea grabbed his arms before he could. "Don't say that about him. Sure, he isn't the sharpest knife in the set, but that means nothing!" Chocolate snaps, Milk quickly entering the area to see what all the fuss was about. "Even you agree that Coffee's stupid, seeing as you just said it." Pastel humors, a smile on his face.

**_THWAP_ **

But that smile didn't last long. The room was quiet, if you ignore the angry, heavy breathing of Milk. "Listen here," Pastel seemed to glance at her, doing as told. "You will not, let me repeat that; you _will not_ speak of my brother that way. Not in this coffee house. Remember, he employed you. He is your boss. And, more importantly, " Milk's eyes darkened. "He is my brother. My _baby_ brother. I will protect him all I can, at any cost. Even his good name I will protect. Do you understand that?"

Pastel sighs out, rubbing the spot that Milk had slapped. "... Yes, I understand."

"Good. Chocolate," The dark-skinned male immediately tugs his hat down, not wanting to be slapped. "Go talk to my brother before I drag you by the ear there." Without hesitation, a quick, "yes ma'am" leaves him and he escapes narrowly once Black Tea let his arm go, only freezing once at Coffee's door. He knocks on it, letting silence take the air into its arms.

"... Coffee? Please let me in." Chocolate speaks, trying not to let the pain envelop in his voice. To his surprise, a voice comes from behind the door:

"It's not locked."

So he didn't wanna open the door? Furrowing his brows, his hand grabs the knob but freezes once more. Though, not wanting to risk Milk's wrath, he turns the knob to see Coffee on the floor, papers around him and a pen in his hand—and the book on his dresser. Closing the door behind him, Chocolate sits off to the side—not in front of Coffee, not beside him, but to the side. He wanted Coffee to have some space. "Coffee… are you mad at me?" He asks, watching the male work, making a note that his glasses had been changed out—the lens was no longer dark, now opting for clear. Silence was Chocolate's answer before Coffee sighs. "I never said I was mad at you." He murmurs, making Chocolate perk up. "So you're not?"

"No. I am. I just never said I was."

Dammit, Coffee…

"Do you want me to leave?"

To this, Coffee's eyes widened. He seemed to stop, as if Chocolate was watching a show buffer online, his hand in the middle of reaching for another document. "I want to know the truth…" Coffee's voice was barely a whisper, maybe even less than it. "I'm so confused, I've been thinking too much. When you left and Red Wine asked me those questions, and you left suddenly, a-and the book—"

Chocolate felt his heartbreak as his eyes immediately notice Coffee's baby blue eyes filled with tears. "I… I thought you were never coming back. I want to understand, but apparently, I can't. Apparently, I'm more dense than I thought I was. How did my Master even stand it?" Angrily, Coffee throws his glasses and wipes his eyes a shaky breath leaving him. It took everything in Chocolate's power not to hug him and give him all the love and comfort in the world, but he did reach over and take Coffee's hand into his own.

Everything broke when Coffee looked up.

Not once in his decades of knowing Coffee has he seen the blonde so upset.

He caused this.

"Please—I'll tell you everything. I need you to take deep breaths for me, okay?"

In an attempt to make Coffee feel better, he brings the male onto his lap, rocking back and forth, making circles on his back with one hand and holding him tightly with the other. Chocolate continued this, for what seemed like hours, before Coffee calmed down enough so that Chocolate could speak.

"I… Coffee, have you realized how much I go somewhere at night, but always appear in the morning?"

It was a start. Coffee nods, using his sleeve to wipe at his tears like an innocent child. "Well… I do it for—gh…. I do it for—" Chocolate stumbles, unable to speak. He didn't want Coffee to think he was gross or—

"...for sex?"

Chocolate stares at Coffee as he swallows the lump in his throat. Coffee seems to glance back at the book before backing at Chocolate. He was putting two and two together, and it gave Chocolate a strange feeling of pride. "So… which are…?" Coffee asks as Chocolate removes the blonde from his lap before speaking, almost seeing him look annoyed, but he chalked it up to his paranoia. "Incubus." He fiddles with his thumbs, the silence cutting into him like a knife. He sighs, looking down. "I'm sorry I never told you. I… I didn't want to ruin what we had." Chocolate explains, gaze still on the floor. "Are you healthy?" Coffee asks as a weak smile makes its way onto Chocolate's face, looking up. "I feed. They're always under the influence, but I feed." This time he _knew_ it wasn't his paranoia. "What? No. You need to be healthy. Can't you find someone who…"

Coffee's voice trails off. "Who...?" Chocolate murmurs, brow raised. "... Me." Coffee looks Chocolate in the eyes, the incubus immediately becoming confused. "You??" Coffee, without missing a heartbeat, spoke.

"Me. You can feed from me."

It was as if the world stopped spinning. Chocolate didn't breathe, and a terrifying reality he landed on was that Coffee was serious. Standing, Chocolate was the one to back away. "No. No way. Coffee, I can't—" Chocolate stumbles, his eyes wide. "I can't just feed on you. I—I could accidentally kill—"

"It said in the book that incubi don't feel romantic attachments." Coffee spoke up, silencing Chocolate. "But it'd be good for you! You'd have a healthy source of food _and_ you wouldn't have to leave at unimaginable hours of the night. See? Win-win!" Coffee insists as Chocolate rolls his eyes. "Okay, for _me._ What about you, huh? That's two pros for me. What about you? If there's no pro's for you, then the conversation is over."

_'If this was anyone else,'_ Chocolate thought, looking at a deep-thinking Coffee, _'would I turn it down? Or am I just turning it down because it's Coffee?'_ The fact that Chocolate didn't know irked him, but he didn't dwell on it as Coffee raises his head, smile on his face. "You'd be happy, one. You'd be healthy, two. And, if you want a third, you'll be here at the coffee house more." Coffee smiles, but he didn't get one in return. "Coffee. Two of those relate to—" he went to speak but Coffee raises his hand, silencing Chocolate. "You being safe, happy, and healthy means the most to me. You're my best friend. So if there's something I can do that will help you be the best version of you, then so be it." Coffee gives Chocolate a smile. A warm smile, a smile that was promising that Chocolate would be safe.

Chocolate had to laugh at that. Coffee couldn't protect him, Coffee was weak—not the battling type, but he closes his eyes. Even with his feeding, he never felt satisfied—and his body would sometimes feel sick after because of the impure problem. With Coffee, even the smallest things could probably help.

Chocolate couldn't believe that he was debating this. He needed to decline—

...a hand on his.

Coffee's smaller hand rested on one of Chocolate's, and Chocolate swore he never saw more beautiful eyes. "I want to do this. I want you healthy."

...and that seemed to be the end of their conversation.

  
  
  


Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months. The healthy food gives Chocolate more energy and more life, and the others visibly can see it. His skin is brighter, he is more energized, and his eyes have life in them. Milk obviously wanted Coffee to explain, and he did so; they never went all the way, Chocolate wasn't comfortable with that. Even the minimum was making a difference and both men were loving it. Coffee loved seeing Chocolate healthy and happy; he looked absolutely radiant. And Chocolate was happy that Coffee seemed to be in such a good mood. Nothing could go wrong with this; it was a win-win situation, just as Coffee had said. But there was one problem Chocolate had caught;

His feelings. He had been able to ignore them, push them aside. But seeing Coffee's smile, hearing his laugh, and giving him kisses, trailing his hands down his sides, gripping all the sweet parts of him—Chocolate was now wondering if he _was_ an incubus, or just a sex-crazed idiot.

He wasn't supposed to feel this. This wasn't right.

But, on the night the moon wasn't in the sky and they were no longer under a blanket of stars, Chocolate slowly places his hands onto his horns, looking into the mirror, his blue eyes staring at his black sclera before moving down to his tail, and tucking it into his jeans. This showed some proof; he _was_ one. But why was he feeling this way? Or is he misreading his own emotions? He didn't know. Locked alone in his room, he was resisting each instinct in his body for food. If he fed, he'd probably accidentally do something he didn't want to—and hurting Coffee was the last thing he wanted to do.

Thinking of Coffee, the memories came back. The images, the sounds—hearing Coffee struggle to take deep breaths from having Chocolate kissing on his neck, biting it and having his fingertips dance down the blonde's sides. Hearing Coffee beg for more—more what? Coffee was unable to say, simply stuttering and whimpering. The memories were enough to make Chocolate lose it, as he exits his room. He had told them he didn't want to be seen, but now he could feel his rational judgment slipping from his fingertips, hearing the chatter of others only heightened his senses.

What was he doing?

Chocolate forces his body to stop. He breathes, closing his eyes before a simple, "whoa" catches his attention. Black Tea blinks, holding her hand out. "Is this why you would always hide away in your room, Chocolate?" She asks as the male slowly nodded. "... Well, have you decided to join us?" Black Tea asks, her expression soft as Chocolate hesitates, making Black Tea chuckle. "I'm sure Coffee would be happy to see you." She hums, making Chocolate perk up. For a heartbeat, he debated; it was his _instincts_ that made him come, and right now he was supposed to be fighting them. "I… I don't think I can, Black Tea. I don't feel...right." Chocolate chose his words carefully. "I know, it's the missing stars and moon, right? It was in the book. It'll be okay, we'll make sure nothing happens." Black Tea replies smoothly, leading Chocolate to sigh. "... Fine. If anything happens, it isn't my fault." He grumbles as Black Tea seems to give him a smile, walking to the others.

Obviously, they stared. It was probably strange to them. He sat beside a smiling Coffee, who offers to make Chocolate a drink, but the incubus denies and takes some alcohol instead. He, Chocolate, didn't bother to pay attention to the conversation; lost in his own thoughts. He picked up bits and pieces of the conversation he thought were interesting, like that Napoleon and Pastel might have been dating, but Pastel shot that down almost instantly. It amused Chocolate to think about as his eyes go half-lidded, the comfort of having others around him was nice.

"Please don't touch his horns. They're difficult to maintain."

Who was touching Milk—wait. She said, _"his"._ There was Black Tea to his left, who knew better than to do things without permission. Knowing this, his gaze shifts to his right, seeing as Coffee had his hand inches away from Chocolate's horns. He was silent, watching Coffee and Milk stare one another down. Chocolate lets out a chuckle, slightly tilting his head to Coffee. "You can touch. Just ask next time, I don't mind."

Coffee almost looked like a child on Christmas. His hands instantly grip the black horns atop Chocolate's head as an angry _"gentle"_ hisses out of Milk, which made Chocolate laugh as Coffee ignores his sister, on a mission to feel around Chocolate's horns. Chocolate didn't mind Coffee touching his horns, and Coffee's sudden personality change made him smile, his heart filling with love for the other Food Soul. This was a side of Coffee he never knew, and suddenly he was so happy he decided to come out of his room. Coffee's hands weren't too rough with his horns, which made Chocolate glad, but he soon meets Pastel de Nata's quizzical glance. "Yes?" Chocolate asks as Pastel gives him a smile. "It was said they have horns, wings, and a tail. Where're those?" He asks, Coffee's hands freezing. "Ah… wings, erm…" Chocolate moves his head away from Coffee. "You see—I don't have them—the wings, at least."

"So you were turned?"

"No, they just got ripped off."

The silence, the faces. They all looked shocked, eyes wide and mouths either agape or in a straight line. "Ah… I suppose I must explain. Well, let's use Coffee and I as an example. Say another incubus wanted their way with Coffee. Obviously, I would protect Coffee, and when we were away from all other eyes, the other incubus and I would fight, and both horns and wings are vital clues to a demons' status. Having my wings gone doesn't mean I was turned, it simply means that I lost a battle. Well… partially…" Chocolate rubs the back of his neck. "Like hell I was gonna allow that sicko to have his way with that girl… even if she was of legal age, she looked too young…" Chocolate growls under his breath, looking up once more. "I still have my tail, though. It's really nothing special, just a tail. Same color as my hair." He informs, watching the others slowly nod.

"So, the battle," Chocolate perks up at Black Tea's voice. "What do you mean you lost partially?" She asks, Chocolate sighing. "Ah~ that's easy. He ripped my wings off, and after I ran off. He was stronger and I'm not dumb enough to fight someone stronger than I. I found the girl he wanted and used my aura, she took me in and healed me. I protected her until I was all healed up. I then taught her how to break away from an incubus, so he wouldn't be able to do anything. Simple as that. I lost the battle, but won in the end." He explains, Black Tea slowly nodding. "Yeah, I can see that. I'm glad you protected her, though. But how do you know when someone is underage?" Black Tea cocks her head to the side. To this, Chocolate shrugs. "We can see a golden band around them. It can be anywhere, and if we try to touch them or use our powers on them, we get hurt in return. Either we get burned, cut, or heavily sick to the point we can't stand without feeling nauseous. It's not fun. Have I personally gone for one? No. But even a slight brush of them, or God forbid the golden band, and we get those symptoms."

"Do Food Souls have a golden band?"

"The more childish ones like the Double Scoop twins do."

Another nod. "Does anyone have one that you didn't expect?" Pastel chirps in, leading Chocolate to inhale. "Brownie. Brownie does. But, for some reason, his is cracked? I don't know _why_ it's cracked, but it is." He informs, pausing when he felt an intense gaze on him, looking back to Coffee. The male looked as if he was trying to burn holes into Chocolate's head. "Can I help you?" He laughs, watching a smile creep onto Coffee's face. "Can I see your tail?" He asks, causing Chocolate to snort, standing up. "At least you didn't try and receive it yourself." He spoke, pulling his tail out from his jeans, watching Coffee's face. He looked so excited, it was really riling Chocolate up in the best way possible. It was making him giddy seeing this side of the serious man. In a matter of seconds, Chocolate's tail was in Coffee's hands. "It's fluffy…" he whispers, hands petting the end of the tail, which was heart-shaped. "Yeah, I know. I take pride in it."

The night was amusing. One by one, everyone went to bed, leaving Chocolate and Coffee—who was still obsessing over Chocolate's demon parts—alone. Chocolate sips his alcohol, feeling Coffee brush his fingertips through his tail fur for the millionth time. Maybe it was the alcohol, but it was giving him a chill each time he did. He wanted those fingertips somewhere else.

_'Yeah,'_ Chocolate thinks, shaking his head. _'Definitely the alcohol.'_ His tail flicks out of Coffee's grasp, a loud whine leaving the blonde as Chocolate tucks it back into his jeans, looking at an upset Coffee. "Sorry~ with the mixture of alcohol and your fingers…" Slowly, Chocolate made his way to Coffee, bending down to his level and leaning into his ear, "It's making me feel things, baby~" he whispers, feeling Coffee tense up as a deep chuckle escapes Chocolate's throat. "I wonder what other places you…" gently, he takes Coffee's hands into his own, bringing them to his hips, moving to look Coffee in the eyes, smirking. "...could use them~" Chocolate leans over, giving Coffee's neck a kiss, and he feels the male melt immediately, feels Coffee grip him and he purrs out. "This might just be the alcohol talking~," Chocolate hums, giving his neck a quick nip, a squeak leaving Coffee. "But I loved seeing you all excited. I loved seeing it, it's so much more different than the usual attitude you have. Why keep that hidden away?~" he purrs, but Coffee stays silent.

"Go get some rest, Coffee," Chocolate pecks Coffee on the lips. "You need it."

Without waiting for Coffee's answer, Chocolate turns and walks away. Chocolate did have to admit one thing; he'd probably have to surprise Coffee from time to time with his tail and horns. Seeing him that happy and excited… it caused the incubi's heart to soar.

  
  
  


This was beginning to be a problem for Coffee.

Chocolate let Coffee keep the book, and Coffee went back to reread it a couple of times. It stated, clear as day, that these types of demons don't feel romantic attraction. And here Coffee was, head over heels. 

He had no idea what he was thinking when he let Chocolate feed from him. In a way, he was heartbroken that Chocolate couldn't return his feelings. Maybe that's why? To feel love from Chocolate? To be _loved_ by Chocolate? It hurt Coffee even more to think about as he sighs, writing an order down and smiling to the customer, telling them how long it would take as they sat down. He sighs, moving and bumping into his heartache; Chocolate. Coffee gives a warm smile. "Good morning, Chocolate. Is your hangover doing okay? Your shift doesn't start for another ten minutes, so you can get a drink of water and relax." Coffee suggests to Chocolate as Chocolate leans to Coffee's height. "What if I want a taste of you, instead?~"

Coffee, at that moment, forgot how to breathe. 

Chocolate was so close, their lips almost touching. Part of Coffee wanted to just do it—kiss him, tell him his feelings. But Coffee shakes his head, moving away from his heartache. "I'm on the clock, Chocolate. Get some water, make sure your hangover is manageable before working. Your wellbeing is more important than your shift." Coffee hums, turning away to start on the order that was placed. He could hear that Chocolate was displeased by Coffee's denial, but didn't fight it and did as told. Coffee quickly makes what was asked, adding a small cookie on the side as an apology for the wait. He gives them the order and flashes a smile, sighing when they leave as he runs a hand through his hair. He wasn't good at love, not at all. He could probably talk to Tiramisu about it, but then again the love professional here _was_ his heartache.

Why couldn't Coffee catch a break?

He exhales shakily, taking a deep breath in to calm his nerves. Though, it didn't help all that much. He could still feel his heart cracking each minute, each moment without Chocolate—and twice as fast when he was here. Coffee's eyes go downcast, feeling his heart aching as he imagined Chocolate with others. But Coffee quickly shakes his head, grunting as he looks back at the people in his coffee house, seeing them happy. This did cause a weak smile to creep onto his face, sighing as he goes back to taking orders and making people smile. Something he was good at, surprisingly, he didn't think he would be, seeing as he _was_ the Devil's Drink. But, here he was, watching people smile as they enjoy what he brews for them. "Even if I can't have Chocolate in that way," Coffee's voice was quiet as he weakly smiles. "At least I can have their smiles to make my day." Coffee nods to himself, as if he was trying to convince himself that it was okay, even if his heart was getting crushed every second of every day.

He was going to be okay—no.

He _had_ to be okay.

With this thought heavy in his mind, heavy in his heart, he forces a smile on his face and watches Chocolate walk over. This was as good as any opportunity as any to step back. "Hey, I'm gonna take an early break. I have a bit on my mind, so are you going to be okay alone?" Coffee asks as Chocolate gives him a concerned look. "Do you need to talk about it?" He asks as Coffee flashes a smile. "No, I just need to think. So will you be okay alone? If you won't, I won't leave until Black Tea's shift starts." He explains as Chocolate shakes his head. "No no, I'll be okay." Chocolate replies, giving Coffee a wink. "You go have some you-time~ be safe." Chocolate presses a kiss to Coffee, and it makes the blonde short-circuit. Chocolate laughs as Coffee turns the shade of Chocolate's roses, leaving for the break room. He makes himself some cheesy bread before his eyes dance over to one thing, but he scolds himself and sits down, gathering his thoughts.

He _could_ just tell Chocolate, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't go smoothly, so he scraps the idea. He couldn't just live with it—well, he could, but he didn't want to. He couldn't remember when he first started liking Chocolate, maybe a few months after they met? He sighs and perks when he hears the door open, looking to Crepe. "Hey, Mr. Manager, whatcha doing in here?" She asks, making Coffee weakly smile. "I just needed a moment to think is all. Why? Is something up?" He asks, Crepe shaking her head. "Besides Chocolate muttering to himself, no." She came and sat beside Chocolate, making him raise a brow. "So? What's wrong?" She asks as Coffee snorts. "Is this so you can pry some cash out of me and go to that store you love?" He asks as Crepe flushes red. "N-no!" She snaps back as he laughs, leaning before humming out. "Really? Because I was going to, if you wanted some." He shrugs, looking away. "But if you don't want it~" he purrs out, listening to Crepe stammer. He laughs in response, shaking his head. "Do a mission for money, Crepe. I'll be fine, don't cash me out." He replies as Crepe groans. "But there's—!" She was cut off by Coffee shaking his head. "No, Crepe. Either become a staff member and not _just_ do missions, or sit and wait until I give you a mission." Coffee states as Crepe crosses her arms and sighs. "Fine… but are you sure you're just thinking? What are you even thinking about?"

"... Crepe."

"Okay, okay, no need to use the angry tone. Chocolate is worried though. If I were you, Mr. Manager, I would see what that's about." She hums, standing up and fans his face a bit, getting a bored stare in return. "Though, a piece of advice; the world isn't as black and white as you think." She hums, taking her leave. Coffee watches her leave, sighing softly before looking over to a shelf, one that had alcohol. Suddenly, an overwhelming urge overcame him—from the loneliness to his emotions, he found himself opening a bottle—

—...only to have it taken out of his grasp. He whips around, half-expecting to see Chocolate, but blinks as his gaze meets Tiramisu's. Her gaze was disapproving, her blue and green eye showed it perfectly. "Well, Little Devil, what are you doing?" She asks, leading Coffee to sigh. "Tiramisu, can I have that back?" He asks, staring at her. "No. You're letting Chocolate feed off you, right? You're the one stressing that he needs _healthy_ food. You'll make yourself impure." She replies, frowning as Coffee rubs the back of his neck, not exactly having a reply. "Well? Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong." She taps her foot, waiting for his reply as Coffee sighs, giving in as she brings him to the sofa. Silence persists as Tiramisu waits patiently, not rushing Coffee at all.

"... He's hurting—"

No. That's a terrible way to phrase it.

"Tiramisu. What would you do if you loved someone you couldn't have?"

Behind his glasses, he watches the female bite her lip. "Well, that depends. Why couldn't I have them?" She asks as Coffee looks down. "Because they're incapable of feeling love." His voice was soft as Tiramisu let her expression soften. "Honestly? I don't know what I would do… I guess I would just… appreciate that they're at least in my life." She murmurs as Coffee nods, pain swelling in his chest. "Yeah… I think I would, too." He whispers, feeling Tiramisu give him a gentle pat as a soft apology escapes her, and she stands and leaves.

She's right.

At least Chocolate is in his life.

Coffee exits the room, flashing a smile at Chocolate, and Chocolate smiles back. Coffee ignores the jabbing pain as he works; serving drinks, flirting with customers, and, of course, joking around with Chocolate. Amidst it all, Coffee could feel every inch of himself tearing at the seams—ripping holes in his heart, his mind screaming. Breaking down, he wants to break everything and the urge to cry was building in him faster than he expected.

But Coffee kept on smiling.

But Coffee kept laughing.

But Coffee kept flirting with patrons and Chocolate.

But Coffee kept burying his true feelings deep, deep down, where they could never be found again.

But… if he can't truly be loved by Chocolate, fuck his feelings.

Just then, a Food Soul with white hair catches his attention…

  
  
  


_"Chocolate, I want you to know you'll be closing. I met a Food Soul and we agreed to meet up, so I won't be here. Don't forget to write down everything we need for tomorrow, okay?"_

Coffee's voice rings out in his head as Chocolate runs, three others following behind and yelling at him—but Chocolate ignores this, his blood screaming, veins pumping blood faster and faster throughout his body. The pit in his stomach wouldn't go away, the fear consuming Chocolate made him run faster and faster. All of his demonic-esk features, his horns, tail, and eyes, were out in the open, and now here he was; his feet digging into the floor and giving him a boost of speed each time. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he care, he was too busy hating himself for not being careful, not making sure he knew who Coffee was going with. He couldn't believe how foolish he was.

And now Coffee was in trouble. Because of him.

_"If you're hungry, please make sure to be back by five AM. I understand time can fly by, but you have an early shift. I'll be out buying what we need. Please don't wait for me, I don't know how long I'll be out._

_Forever yours,_

_Coffee."_

Coffee.

A choked noise escapes Chocolate as he feels someone grab his jeans, forcing him to stop. He looks back to see three panting Food Souls; Steak, Pretzel, and Red Wine. "When I tell you to stop, can you stop?!" Steak barks, clearly annoyed. "You don't know where you're going! We need to follow Pretzel!" Almost immediately, Chocolate opens his mouth to protest, but closes it, looking away. "I understand you're scared because Coffee is with him, but calm down! You running around like a wild goose isn't going to help us!" He barks, making the incubus cower, looking back at him. "I'm—I'm sorry. I can't lose another one that I love…" he whispers, fear in his eyes as clear pain swells in Steak's eyes. "... It's okay. Pretzel, do you remember where you saw them?" He asks, looking back as Pretzel nods. "Follow close behind me, and stay quiet. Chocolate, when you see Coffee, you need to try and get him out of the situation as soon as you can, but without giving it away that something is wrong. Do you understand?" He asks as Chocolate gives a meek nod, Pretzel breathing out. "Follow behind me."

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

Twenty minutes.

Chocolate was starting to get restless, but his pleas to go faster were ignored. It was only when they arrived at an abandoned village did Chocolate go quiet, but only due to confusion. He looked at Pretzel, a brow raised. "I heard him telling Coffee this was the place." Pretzel replies vaguely, slightly annoying Chocolate. "We'll search as well. Whoever finds Coffee first, try and either find Chocolate and I. Chocolate, if you find him, alert one of us as subtle as you can." Pretzel informs, Chocolate nodding. "Can do." He replies, quickly running off and silently cursing.

He should have marked Coffee.

Then, that damned vampire wouldn't be trying to make Coffee his dinner.

Virgins blood.

He should of…!

Anger boils in his blood, the feeling from _that day_ coming back as Chocolate starts to run, mouth slightly open in hope to catch the scent of the virgin—no. _His_ virgin. Marked or not, Coffee was _his._

And he was willing to go to extreme lengths to make that his point. 

Chocolate stops, catching the slightest whiff of _his_ Coffee. The words of Pretzels echo in his head, telling him to alert one of the others. But Chocolate couldn't be bothered, he needed to save Coffee.

_His_ Coffee.

Chocolate moves faster, kicking open a door carelessly, seeing movement from the corner of his eye. He ignores this, booking it upstairs as he grabs the doorknob, the blood rushing through his veins as his eyes widen, upon realizing the door was locked. Ruthlessly, he slams his body against the door, the quick movement being heard from the other side. "Coffee! Coffee, get out here!" He yells, his stomach twisting in knots as a gasp from Coffee enters his ears. "Coffee, that man you're with isn't safe! Please just come out here!" He screams, once more throwing his body onto the door. 

On the other side, commotion could be heard. "Coffee! Please, just come out!" He screams, pounding on the door with his fist. Unlocking could be heard as Chocolate kicks the door open, a pained noise coming from the Food Soul that was hurt. He enters the room, freezing to see Coffee was on the floor, clearly in pain. Chocolate picked up Coffee almost immediately. Chocolate's tail slashes behind him, his blackened eyes stare at Coffee before looking at his neck, examining it. "Chocolate—Chocolate, stop, what are you doing?!"

As per request, Chocolate drops Coffee on the bed beside them, breathing heavily as he sniffs the air, trying to catch the scent of the damned bloodsucker. "Chocolate, stop it, what are you doing? Quit it." He snaps, Chocolate looking back at him. "I should have marked you, damn it, Coffee, what are you doing? I can't believe you! Don't you understand that you can't be doing this?! Do I need to mark you so other supernatural beings leave you alone?!"

"Don't touch me!"

Coffee's scream did nothing to stop Chocolate, Coffee's delicate wrists, his white, porcelain skin being grasped by Chocolate's dark skin, and Chocolate tosses Coffee's glasses off of his face, slamming the smaller male down on the bed. "Ch-Chocolate!" Coffee kicks and kicks, attempting to get the rage-induced demon off of him. "If this is the only way to protect you from them, then I'll do it. I'll mark you, I'll mark every single inch of your body. I'll mark you until your skin is burning and injured, I'll make sure everyone knows that you're mine." Chocolate growls out, his nails digging Coffee's soft, plush skin as his face inched closer to Coffee's neck, the male whining out in fear as Coffee's eyes tightly shut, his heartbeat going crazy, shaking from fear as Chocolate's hot breath—

A loud, painful screech.

Coffee felt the mass get thrown off of him, three figures standing before him;

Steak, Red Wine, and Pretzel.

Pretzel was standing in front of Chocolate, the incubus snarling at the religious Food Soul, quickly looking back at the other two, both holding the other Food Soul in the room. 

"Mary—what's going on?" Coffee asks, worry on his face as the Food Soul didn't respond. "Coffee. Did _either_ of them hurt you?" Pretzel asks, not breaking eye contact with the incubus as Coffee watches everyone in the room, opening his mouth to speak but nothing leaving him. "Chocolate?" He asks softly, but the incubus didn't react. Coffee gently gets off of the bed, Pretzel giving him a look. Coffee felt a type of fear when looking at Chocolate, roughly swallowing before looking at the other three. He watches Steak whisper something to Red Wine and the male nods, leading "Mary" away. With a tug, he felt himself being dragged away by the red-headed Food Soul, and Coffee allowed it.

Standing outside, he watches as Red Wine and Mary fight, his attention drawing to Steak as he laughs. "You know, you terrified Chocolate. He didn't know why you didn't bring him." Steak musters, glancing at Coffee. "Coffee. That Food Soul is called Bloody Mary. He's just like Red Wine, a vampire. He probably liked you because your blood is pure, minus the smell of incubus. So, in a way, all you were to Bloody Mary was probably food." Steak replies, glancing at him as Coffee stares forward, his eyes soft behind his glasses. "I don't know why Chocolate acted that way, I wish I could tell you. I'm not a demon expert but…" he glances over at Coffee, eyes softening. "Did he freak you out?" He asks, Coffee giving a slight nod. "Do you want me to walk with you back to your coffee house?" He asks, watching as Coffee shakes his head.

"Are you worried about Chocolate..?"

Coffee looks down, his eyes glancing away. "I just want to know that he's okay." Coffee whispers, Steak's own eyes softening as he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you want me to go check on him?" Steak asks, watching as Coffee shakes his head once more. "Ah… okay. Is there anything you want?" He asks as Coffee's voice silently leaves him;

"Can you stay out here with me?"

"... Yeah, Coffee. I can."

Coffee sits on the floor, Steak slowly sitting next to him as he rubs the others' in circles, Coffee sighing out and slightly leaning against Steak. Steak, in return, runs his fingers through Coffee's hair and holding the male close, biting his cheeks as he lets Coffee relax against him.

Steak looks up to the house, seeing two figures who seemed to be fighting. It made Steak sigh softly, staring up at them. The horned figure seemed angry, but Steak wasn't worried—Pretzel dealt with enough, and he knew that Chocolate wasn't that big of a deal. If anything, Chocolate would be easy to deal with, seeing as Pretzel has dealt with a blood-induced Red Wine before. With a quiet prayer to whatever God was listening, he looks down at Coffee with sympathy in his eyes.

What would have happened if Pretzel didn't get there in time?

Chocolate would probably have never forgiven himself. After all, you can't erase a marking. Chocolate would probably vanish.

Where would he go?

That's the terrifying thing, and quite frankly, Steak didn't want to think about it. He glances back up at the window to the fighting figures, a thought on his mind;

_"Chocolate. Would_ **_she_ ** _be proud?"_

  
  


_"Chocolate, there you are."_

_Chocolate jumps in place, glancing at a mirror and seeing his eyes return to normal. "What are you doing, just hiding around? Do you want to go out to dinner with us?"_

_Beside Salina, her husband stood. He seems to smile down at Chocolate with a smile the incubus couldn't place. "Ah… maybe next time. I'm having a self day. Is that okay with you?" He hums, giving her hand a kiss, but it was pulled away by her. A slight shrug leaves Chocolate, leaning back as Salina's husband wraps his arms around her, his eyes not leaving Chocolate. "Are you sure? You haven't been out for a while." She murmurs, letting Chocolate smile. "Master, thank you for worrying. I'll be okay, I promise."_

_Chocolate watches as Salina nods, glancing as a soft, "shall we go?" leaves her, and her husband leads her away, the two softly talking. Chocolate sighs—his eyes were hurting. He lets them return to normal, stopping the mental force on his eyes to make them appear normal before lazily glancing at the mirror and almost having a heart attack; there stood Salina, who seemed surprised. Chocolate, who was leaning on a bed, quickly fell on the floor and scrambles up, looking her in the eyes._

_His black sclera looking into Salina's white sclera._

_"... Chocolate," she laughs, poking him slightly. Chocolate swallows harshly before she laughs, grabbing a pair of earrings that were in one of the drawers, a pair Chocolate has never seen before. "Make sure to fight only to protect someone. Okay? I'll see you later."_

_"Chocolate?"_

_"Hey, Choc_ olate."

"Chocolate!"

With a loud crash, Chocolate blinks, the hazy memory still in his mind, the smell of Salina still on his mind as Pretzel stands over him. His vision becomes clear as he winces, seeing broken wood around him. "Chocolate, are you okay?" Pretzel asks, holding his hand out as Chocolate takes it, pain coursing through him as he weakly nods before looking down to his wrist, the words echoing within his head once more;

_"Make sure to fight only to protect someone."_

Chocolate glances around, seeing they were the only ones in the room. Though, with his memory slowly returning, he couldn't say he didn't deserve to be thrown into a dresser. "Hey, Pretzel…?" Chocolate murmurs, but refuses to look at the Food Soul. "Is Coffee okay? I… I didn't…? No. Nevermind."

Chocolate sits down, his tail slashing on the dirty wooden floor as he scratches at his head violently, feeling his nails dig into his skin, and most likely drawing blood. A loud, _"Chocolate!"_ escapes Pretzel, grabbing his hands. "I can't believe I did that. Why? Why did I hurt him? I was screaming. In my head, I was screaming, _"no! Don't do that! Leave him alone! Snap out of it! Get him out of there!"_ So why didn't I listen?! Why didn't I listen to myself?! The way Coffee looked at me, I don't—I—"

Chocolate feels the grip on his wrists tighten, looking up through teary eyes, meeting Pretzels' stern expression. "Stop it. Stop making yourself out to be a bad guy. You're not. You're a demon, a _sex_ demon, these fighting, and bad actions are basically apart of you. You can't force these actions down each and every time something happens that triggers them. Chocolate, listen to me well; I will never think less of you. And you shouldn't either, since these actions are, and will always be, a part of you. They're bad, yes, but at the moment, your intentions were not ill. You _didn't_ force Coffee into anything bad, per se, but you did _try_ and forcefully mark him so that no other could hurt him. That's not bad, not as bad as what you could have done. Okay? Tell me you understand. Coffee is outside with Steak, Coffee is okay. I can't say he's not afraid, and I can't say that he understood your actions. But what I can say is that you're here, he's there, and you're both okay. Unharmed."

"... Can you go check on Coffee for me?"

"Of course."

Brushing himself off, Pretzel stands and exits the room, and then the house, seeing Steak and Coffee. Coffee's eyes were closed, his glasses on his head as Steak nods. "Is he asleep?" Pretzel asks as Steak shakes his head. "Nah, he's just resting. Is everything okay?" Steak asks, making Pretzel smile. "Chocolate requested that I check on Coffee."

Suddenly, Coffee seemed to sit up, his eyes wide. "I—what?" He murmurs back, clearly surprised. This made Pretzel turn his attention to Coffee, an unreadable expression on his face. "Do you wanna go see him?" Pretzel asks, a brow raised. "He's back to normal. You can freely speak, but if you show any fear he'd probably never look at you." Pretzel informs, casually looking back up at the house. "So, Coffee? What do you wanna do?"

Coffee pauses, and clearly begins to think. "... I wanna go back home. I'd rather talk to him in an environment that's more… comforting." He replies, watching Pretzel nod. "You can go if you want, Steak. I can walk by myself." Coffee hums, standing as the redhead nods, standing and wiping himself off. "Pretzel? You joining them?" His gruff voice asks, the make shaking his head. "No, but I'll inform him. I bid you goodbye, Coffee, and the best of luck."

"Thanks."

Coffee watches as Pretzel walks in before giving a soft wave to Steak, walking out of the village and breathing out.

All he needed to do was get home.

And, there, he could take a shower, change, and get his thoughts together.

_Drip… drip… drip…_

Coffee aggressively dries his hair with a towel, silencing the trips on his porcelain tub, and letting himself get dressed. With a deep breath in, he leaves the bathroom connected to his room and leaves his room, knocking on the door to the room down the hall. The door opens to black and blue, making Coffee smile. "Hey. Can I come in?"

"... Uhm, yeah, sure."

The door opens, Coffee walking in casually and sitting on Chocolate's bed. "How are you doing? Did Pretzel hurt you?" He asks, watching Chocolate's brow raise. Thankfully, Chocolate kept his distance as he leans on the wall, shaking his head no. "It takes a bit to hurt me, he didn't do enough damage, so no worries." He informs a slight smile on his face, making Coffee calm down slightly. "I… I'll be honest with you, Chocolate, I was afraid you'd…" his voice drifts, and the smile in Chocolate's face drops. "... I'm so sorry about that. I don't know what got into me. I know that if I marked you earlier, then that bastard wouldn't have tried anything…" he whispers, making Coffee smile.

"It's okay—"

"No, it's not."

Coffee was silent, surprised by Chocolate's sudden forceful answer.

"I almost marked you, Coffee, that can't be reversed. The moment you're marked, you can't get rid of it. If I were to do that, I'd want you in a clear state of mind and you to promise me that you don't want a relationship with someone because then you'd be unable to be in one. Being marked is almost like… like being married, but unable to get a divorce. Like the old times, you'd basically be the wife of the relationship that's being sold to the husband. Coffee, I don't want that to happen to—"

"Just mark me."

By the look on Chocolate's face, Coffee could tell that he either stopped breathing or his heart stopped. Or maybe both?

"Chocolate. I don't plan on getting in a relationship, and I certainly don't plan on ever getting married, as marriage doesn't matter to me. And, actually? Living a life with you beside me forever I…" Coffee hesitates before shaking his head, looking Chocolate in the eyes. "I would love that. I would love to be… more than a source of food. I would love for you to make me yours. I'm giving you permission, but…" Coffee gets up and walks over to him, gently brushing his cheek, staring into his eyes.

"Do you want to spend forever with me?"

Coffee could feel his own heart beating a million miles a second, looking at Chocolate's wide eyes. Slowly, he feels something wrap around his waist as Chocolate picks him up and kisses him, Coffee slowly kissing back and closing his eyes, unable to keep from smiling as Chocolate pulls away, a smile on his own face. "I thought I would have ruined it. Coffee… I promise, I'll always be there," he gives his wrist a soft kiss, licking the spot.

"I promise I'll always be there to save you."


End file.
